Various capping devices have heretofore been utilized for applying threaded caps to prethreaded containers. Such devices utilize a clutch to control the amount of torque applied so that the container is properly closed but also to prevent too much torque from being applied which could make the container too difficult to open or even strip the threads thereon Examples of such devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,964,240; 4,364,218; 4,485,609 and 4,674,264. The devices shown in the prior art have generally used rings of concentric magnets with some form of control device to control the axial position of those magnets. Various devices have also incorporated rings of magnets of alternating polarity Even though such devices have been available, they have tended to be complex and costly and thus many capping devices utilizing spring loaded mechanical and friction clutches are still in use; for example, in the dairy industry wherein threaded plastic bottles are generally closed by means of threaded closure caps. A need has thus continued to exist for such a device incorporating a simplified but effective clutch mechanism.